<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>body swap by peachsneakers</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26657524">body swap</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/peachsneakers/pseuds/peachsneakers'>peachsneakers</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>soulmate september [23]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Sanders Sides (Web Series)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Abusive Parents, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Creativity | Roman "Princey" Sanders &amp; Dark Creativity | Remus "The Duke" Sanders Are Twins, Food, Hurt/Comfort, Insecure Dark Creativity | Remus "The Duke" Sanders, Insecurity, M/M, Protective Morality | Patton Sanders, Swearing, Sympathetic Dark Creativity | Remus "The Duke" Sanders, especially Roman, intruality, the others are mentioned - Freeform</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 11:00:25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,577</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26657524</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/peachsneakers/pseuds/peachsneakers</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Patton can't wait to meet his soulmate. Remus is convinced he doesn't even have one. </p><p>Waking up in Patton's body changes that.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Dark Creativity | Remus "The Duke" Sanders/Morality | Patton Sanders</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>soulmate september [23]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1906756</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>41</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>269</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>body swap</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>prompt: Day 23 - At a certain age you switch bodies with your soulmate for 24 hours.</p><p>this took so long to write omg</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Patton takes a deep breath, switching off the light. Tomorrow morning, if all goes well, he'll wake up...well, not in his own body, that's for sure. He doesn't know who, but that doesn't matter. He wiggles happily in bed, unable to stop smiling. His <em>soulmate</em>! He'll get to be in the body of his soulmate! What if he <em>knows</em> them? (What if he doesn't?) Who could it even <em>be</em>? He has a few guesses, but he doesn't want to assume. He'll only end up disappointed if he does that, and if there's any emotion he doesn't want to feel tomorrow, it's disappointment. His soulmate could never disappoint him.</p><p></p><div>
  <p>Before he falls asleep, his eyes fall on the dim white rectangle by his bed. It's a note to his soulmate, trying to familiarize them with his life and who he is. It's strongly encouraged, though naturally not required, to do something similar for your soulmate before your eighteenth birthday. But luckily for Patton, body switching with your soulmate only happens the day <em>after</em> your eighteenth birthday. So he's had plenty of fun today, with presents and birthday cake and so many balloons he nearly popped one just trying to get into the kitchen.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Tomorrow will be even better," he whispers, just before his eyes close.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>The strident sound of an alarm clock beeping wakes him up. He fumbles for it on autopilot, hitting it only by chance, and gasping when his eyes open and he's met with a very unfamiliar arm. It's a bit paler than his, and the fingers are long and thin. A crumpled piece of paper sits against the alarm clock, and with surprisingly clear vision, Patton reads <em>To my soulmate</em> in messy green sprawl across the front.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Oh my gosh!" Patton blurts out. His voice is familiar, rough and raspy, but he can't quite place it as he jolts upright in bed, snagging the piece of paper and unfolding it with trembling hands.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>
    <em>I dunno if this is even gonna work. If I even have a soulmate?</em>
  </p>
</div><div>
  <p>"You do," Patton squeals quietly to himself.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>
    <em>But here goes nothing. I'm Remus King-</em>
  </p>
</div><div>
  <p>Patton's mouth falls open in shock. <em>What</em>? He knows Remus King. They're- well, he wouldn't say they're <em>friends</em> exactly, but they're friends adjacent. Patton's friends with Remus's twin, Roman. Remus has always been pretty aloof when it comes to Roman's friends, but he's still talked to him sometimes. Even hung out a few times.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>But... <em>Remus</em>?</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Well, why not Remus," Patton declares, shaking his head like a dog shaking off a spray of water. He returns to the note.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>
    <em>If you know me, sorry in advance, I guess. I doubt I was your first choice. Or second. ...Or third. Unless maybe Jan Jan or Virge are reading this, but I'm pretty sure you two are soulmates, so I doubt that. Plus, we don't have the same birthday, so.</em>
  </p>
</div><div>
  <p>
    <em>I have a twin. His name is Roman. He's insufferable but I love him anyway. I wouldn't hang out with my parents too much. They...aren't great. For me, anyway, and I guess by extension, you. Trust me on this one. They love Roman. I know they love me, too, but they've uh, got a funny way of showing it.</em>
  </p>
</div><div>
  <p>
    <em>So yeah. We probably have school but I don't care if you ditch. Nothing my teachers aren't used to! Maybe try to find me? Well, you, but it's me. You know. If this worked and I'm not reading this in the morning like an asshole.</em>
  </p>
</div><div>
  <p>
    <em>See ya.</em>
  </p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Oh gosh," Patton whispers to himself. Uncertainty settles on his unfamiliar frame, wreathing him like fog. Roman's parents have always been perfectly polite to him, but- </p>
</div><div>
  <p>His eyes return to the letter. <em>I wouldn't hang out with my parents too much.</em></p>
</div><div>
  <p><em>All right then, I won't,</em> Patton resolves, folding up the note, ready to stick it in a pocket. He doesn't want to lose it (and especially doesn't want Remus's family to see it, considering).</p>
</div><div>
  <p>It takes him longer than it probably should to get dressed. Remus's closet is- well, it's not so much a closet, it's all the clothes draped over a chair and crumpled on the floor, and he has no idea what's clean or not (but a few surreptitious sniff tests help take care of <em>that</em>). In the end, he <em>thinks</em> he's put together a Remus-worthy outfit, if one doesn't look too closely, anyway. Not that it matters, anyone who knows Remus's birthday will <em>know</em> it's not him today, but it's the little things that count in Patton's eyes.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>And because of Remus's note, he slips out of the house without letting anyone else know, not even Roman. He's not sure he wants to face Roman right now. The twins don't actually share a birthday, Remus was born a day before Roman, so today is Roman's birthday. And normally, he'd be delighted and sing his friend "Happy Birthday" and make sure he gets the <em>best</em> present, but right now, he feels...funny. And he's not sure why. <em>They love Roman. </em></p>
</div><div>
  <p>Not that Roman is responsible for his family woes. Remus said it himself, he loves his twin. But Patton couldn't help but taste an undercurrent of bitterness there, no matter how hard Remus tried to hide it.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>Despite Remus's parting words, Patton can't help himself.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>He goes to school.</p>
</div><div>
  <hr/>
</div><div>
  <p>Remus is shocked when he wakes up in someone else's body.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>He's shocked because parting note aside, he's still more than half convinced he's going to wake up in his same old shitty bed, to the same old shitty alarm blaring, and the damn note he left on the nightstand mocking him. Mocking him because ha, can you believe <em>Remus</em> thought he'd have a <em>soulmate</em>? What a great cosmic joke!</p>
</div><div>
  <p>Only he's woken up not by a too loud alarm clock, but the radio going off, and when he opens his eyes, the room surrounding him is <em>nothing</em> like his messy on purpose bedroom (that he thankfully does <em>not</em> share with Roman).</p>
</div><div>
  <p>Not only that, but there's a note folded on the bedside table. He doesn't recognize the handwriting, but he sits up and snags it anyway, unfolding it with surprisingly shaky fingers.</p>
</div><div>
  <p><em>Hi, soulmate!</em> It begins. Remus rolls his eyes fondly at the overly cheerful tone. Wouldn't that just figure, he's the way he is and his soulmate is starting to look like Pollyanna.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>
    <em>I can't wait to meet you! I'm so excited. Today's going to be a wonderful day!</em>
  </p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Sorry I probably ruined that," Remus mumbles, with a wince. He hopes that his soulmate paid attention to what he said. And more importantly, what he didn't say. It's Roman's birthday today, and that means the parental units will be heavy on the charm. At least they let him have Janus and Virgil over yesterday. That's about the best he could have hoped for.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>
    <em>I'm Patton. Patton Heart! I don't know if you know me, but that's okay!</em>
  </p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Oh, shit," Remus groans, eyes blown wide. <em>Patton</em>? <em>Roman's</em> friend? One of Roman's <em>best</em> friends? This could not be happening. He must still be asleep, dreaming of the universe's worst ideas for a soulmate. He pinches himself in the arm, but nothing happens.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>To be scrupulously fair, Patton's not really the <em>worst</em> idea for a soulmate. He's been nice the few times Remus has hung out with his brother and his friends. He's not just polite, he's <em>friendly</em>, and it makes Remus almost want to see if maybe they could be friends, too. But not when it comes to Roman. If he breathes one word to the folks, Remus will be in trouble, and will it make any sense? Of course not, but that's never stopped them before.</p>
</div><div>
  <p><em>I'm an only child. My parents are a liiiittle overbearing, but they love me a lot and I'm sure they'll love you, too! </em>Remus snorts.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Doubt that," he mutters.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>
    <em>My best friends are Roman and Logan. You'll probably see them today! They're so excited to meet you, too!</em>
  </p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Not if I can help it," Remus says. Logan, sure, why not, he's kind of fun to rile up. But Roman? How the hell is he supposed to tell his twin that oh yeah, his soulmate is <em>Patton</em>? Roman will think for sure it's some weird lie the two of them have concocted, and Remus will naturally be blamed for it. He can hear his parents now, ranting about 'leading Patton astray.' So no, thanks. Roman can stay in the dark. Maybe he can convince his twin that he's not even from their town. He just has to get Patton on board and-</p>
</div><div>
  <p><em>Patton.</em> He scrambles out of bed, hunting for clean clothes. Unlike his own disaster of a room, Patton's clothes are neatly hung up in his closet, arranged by color. Not that he strays much from a polo shirt and khakis, from the little Remus has noticed. He changes quickly and grabs Patton's cat hoodie, tying it loosely around his shoulders like he's seen Patton do a hundred times. Looking at himself in the mirror lining the closet door, he purses unfamiliar lips and nods. He's never seen Patton look quite so rumpled, but he supposes it will have to do.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>Slipping out of the room and wandering down the hallway, a woman accosts him just as he's about to sneak into the kitchen.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Hello!" She says brightly. "I'm Patton's mother. You must be his soulmate!" Caught, Remus flushes red to the roots of Patton's hair and tentatively nods.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Uh, I'm Remus," he offers. Recognition flares in her baby blue eyes, so like Patton's, but no disgust or disdain follows.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Patton's told me about you!" She says warmly. "I'm afraid you're running a little late for school, but would you like a muffin? I have blueberry, chocolate chip, and lemon poppyseed."</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Uh, sure," Remus says and follows her into the kitchen. It feels like he's stepped into the Twilight Zone. She hands him a blueberry muffin- "for Patton, if you see him"- and lets him choose a lemon poppyseed one. It tastes <em>good</em>, and he tells her as much, swallowing desperately so he doesn't talk with his mouth full. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Patton normally walks to school," she tells him, studying his face. "Would you like to do that, too? Just turn left at the streetlight, and you should find it okay."</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Sounds good," he says. It's weird, having someone talk to him about school, like it's a foregone conclusion he'll show up. His parents have given up on that front. Even Roman has, although if he sees Remus, he'll still drag him off.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>As he walks, he remembers he never actually finished reading Patton's note and digs it out of his pocket, smoothing out the crumpled edges.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>
    <em>I hope that everything goes well today. Let's try to meet up, if we can! I hope we live in the same city. It's okay if we don't, though. I'm sure we'll find a way to meet sometime anyway! </em>
  </p>
</div><div>
  <p>
    <em>Love, Patton</em>
  </p>
</div><div>
  <p>Tears prick Remus's eyes for some reason, as he reads the send off, and he has to stuff the note back in his pocket and scrub a hand across his eyes to stay calm. </p>
</div><div>
  <p><em>It's fine,</em> he tells himself. <em>Just. Get to school. Goody two shoes almost certainly didn't pay attention to your note.</em></p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Remus!" His own voice calls, and he jerks to a stop in the middle of the sidewalk, hands trembling. When he looks up, he sees...himself.</p>
</div><div>
  <hr/>
</div><div>
  <p>Seeing himself standing in the middle of the pavement is a <em>weird</em> experience, Patton realizes as he hurries toward his soulmate. Remus doesn't carry his body anything like he does. In fact, he'd be hard pressed to admit it's <em>his</em> body at all if he didn't know it inside and out. Remus has an unsettled expression on his face as he looks up, and even takes a step backward, like he wants to get away.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"It's me!" Patton says, standing in front of him and clasping his hands together. "It's Patton. Gosh, I can't believe we're soulmates! This is so exciting!"</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Is it?" Remus asks. "Oh, uh, your mom sent you a blueberry muffin." He rummages in the side pocket of his- Patton's- backpack, pulling out a muffin wrapped in a napkin and handing it over.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Thank you!" Patton exclaims, tucking it away for later. Remus's clothes have very voluminous pockets, and he intends to take full advantage of that. "So um... My mom was okay?"</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Yeah," Remus mumbles, adjusting his backpack. "She was fine."</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Are you sure?" Patton presses. "She can be kind of overbearing sometimes, and-"</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"I told you, she was fine," Remus snaps, then freezes. Tears shine in his eyes, shocking Patton.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Remus?" Patton asks in a tiny voice. "Are- are you okay?"</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Sure," Remus says, letting out a ragged laugh. "Just peachy."</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"You don't sound just peachy," Patton says, never more sure of anything in his life. "You sound upset."</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Did you avoid my parents?" Remus asks. Patton blinks, then nods.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"You- you said to," Patton says. "In your note."</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Good," Remus says. "They- god, I don't even want to think about what they'll say if they find out we're soulmates." Confused, Patton tilts his head.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"What's the matter with us being soulmates?" He asks, forehead scrunching. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Are you kidding?" Remus laughs, humorless. "Me and you? <em>You</em>, of all people? You're- you're like a little ray of sunshine. I'm like a thunderstorm. A really fucked up thunderstorm, that just pummels the whole earth with hail and ruins everything it touches. They'll assume it's a mistake, or that I've messed you up, or-"</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Well, they're <em>wrong</em>," Patton insists, a slow fury growing inside him. Not directed at Remus, though. No, his parents are the target and if Patton had his way, he'd unleash every ounce of pent up anger he's ever felt in their direction. How dare they make Remus feel like he's so unwanted? How dare they treat him so poorly, that he'd tell his soulmate to <em>avoid</em> them? "You haven't messed me up, and this isn't a mistake. Soulmate switching doesn't <em>make</em> mistakes, not like that. I've <em>never</em> heard of a soulmate switch that was in error."</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Well, maybe I'm the first," Remus mumbles, but he looks like he's paying attention. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Your parents suck," Patton says bluntly. "If they can't see what an awesome person you are, they suck. If they can only treat Roman well and not you, they suck and their opinion sucks. I'm <em>glad</em> you're my soulmate. Sure, it surprised me at first! But any choice would have surprised me! I'm just happy I know you, and you don't actually live across the world. It's so exciting, and I can't <em>wait</em> to get to know you properly. And if your parents or- or even Roman- have a problem with that, well, they can suck it."</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Damn, Patton, tell me how you really feel," Remus says, but there's a smile tugging at his lips, begging to be felt, and Patton's never felt more right about anything in his whole life.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"I like you," Patton says. "I like you, and I hardly even know you. Can you imagine how I'll feel when I actually get to <em>know</em> you?"</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"You'll hate me?" Remus jokes. Patton shakes his head, smiling, then reaches over and takes Remus's hand.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"You'll be my world," he says simply. "Walk me to school?" Remus blinks, dazed.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Sure," he says, and squeezes Patton's hand.</p>
</div>
  </div></div>
</body>
</html>